Scottish Executive

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total costs were of staging the recent The Same As You conference at Heriot Watt University in conjunction with the National Autistic Society and Scottish Society for Autism.

Mr Frank McAveety: The total cost of staging The Same As You – The next Step for Autistic Spectrum Disorders conference on 21 May was £26,421.82. The Scottish Executive is meeting the net costs of £4,124.93, after deduction of income from delegates.

Birds

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any evidence that wind turbines pose any threat to birds and what research it has commissioned into this matter.

Ross Finnie: We have no such evidence. Under existing legislation, it is mandatory for developers to detail the environmental impact of their proposals, especially for environmentally significant sites, and propose mitigation measures as part of their accompanying environmental statement. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is of the opinion that studies are helpful at a local level, but it is difficult to apply their conclusions more generally. However, one local five-year study on the Novar windfarm at Inverness registered no significant impact on the bird population.

British-Irish Council

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the outcome of the recent meeting of the British-Irish Council in Jersey.

Mr Jim Wallace: The British-Irish Council (BIC) held its third summit meeting, in Jersey, on 14 June. The main focus of the meeting was the knowledge economy, on which Jersey takes the lead. The meeting was a useful and constructive one. Besides agreeing an approach to closer working on measures to tackle the "digital divide", it enabled members to exchange information and views on the wide variety of policies, methods of working and projects under way. I also emphasised scope for council members to work together on the development of enterprise skills in young people.

  The meeting also received progress reports on BIC co-operation on drugs, environment, social inclusion, transport, health: the application of telemedicine, and tourism.

  I am pleased to confirm that Scotland will host the next BIC Summit in November, where the focus of the meeting will be on the issue of social inclusion.

  I am placing a copy of the Communiqué issued by the British-Irish Council after the summit meeting in Jersey in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 22056).

Caledonian MacBrayne

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it carried out any performance assessment process prior to the reappointment of the Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne; who was consulted in connection with the performance of the current Chairman; whether users of Caledonian MacBrayne or workers of the company were consulted in any way and, if so, whether it will provide details, and whether it will place a copy of any performance assessment record in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Lewis Macdonald: I can confirm that the Scottish Executive carried out a performance assessment of the Chairman of Caledonian MacBrayne before the recent announcement of his reappointment. This was based on significant contact between ministers and the chairman and very frequent contact between senior officials of the Development Department and the chairman over almost three years. A senior Executive official attends every Caledonian MacBrayne Board meeting and, in addition to this, there are further contacts through regular dialogue, meetings and correspondence. The Executive did not consult users or the company’s staff prior to re-appointing the chairman nor is that a statutory requirement or a requirement of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice . As with other similar papers associated with any public appointment, details of the performance assessment are confidential.

Care of Elderly People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all assessments for the implementation of free personal care on 1 July 2002 have been carried out.

Malcolm Chisholm: All local authorities have indicated they will meet the regulatory and legislative requirements to implement free personal care for people currently in receipt of care in their area and I have no reason to believe that any local authority will fail to meet the implementation date.

Central Heating

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners have benefited from its central heating installation programme.

Hugh Henry: Three thousand, five hundred and fifty-nine over 60’s households in the private sector and 4,906 households in the social rented sector who were without central heating benefited from the central heating programme in 2001-02. We cannot specify how many of those in the social rented sector were aged 60 or over because the programme in that sector is not confined to that age group.

Communities

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any new developments in its community regeneration policies.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Community Regeneration Statement - Better Communities in Scotland: Closing the Gap  - which was published on 25 June, signals a number of important shifts in our approach to regeneration. These include the placing of regeneration within the community planning framework and, as part of consequence of this, the migration of social inclusion partnership funding to community planning partnerships; giving higher priority to providing individuals and communities with the skills and confidence necessary to take advantage of opportunities and to play a full part in the life of their communities, and putting in place a more robust monitoring and evaluation framework. Together these proposals will make a significant contribution to closing the gap between deprived communities and the rest of Scotland. A full debate on the statement will take place immediately after First Minister’s Question Time today.

Drug Misuse

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is introducing in order to tackle drug dealers.

Mr Jim Wallace: We will continue to strengthen the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) which, together with Scottish police forces and law enforcement partners, are actively targeting drug dealers. We are providing £18.3 million to the SDEA over the next two years to enable it to continue to build on the achievements in its second annual report, published on 24 June, including the arrest last year of 172 persons involved in drug dealing. The Proceeds of Crime Bill, which is nearing the end of its progress through the UK Parliament, will also have a major impact on drug dealers and other criminals.

Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in tackling indiscipline in schools and in addressing concerns over violence against teachers.

Nicol Stephen: The Discipline Task Group (DTG) report , Better Behaviour – Better Learning made 36 recommendations aimed at improving discipline in schools, many of which will also impact on violent or threatening behaviour exhibited towards school staff. These recommendations are currently being implemented by the Scottish Executive, local authorities and individual schools following the Joint Action Plan published in December 2001. During 2001-02, the Scottish Executive made available initial funding of £13,000,000 to local authorities to assist with this implementation

  It is hoped that the implementation of the DTG recommendations, along with other Scottish Executive initiatives, ensure an effective learning environment for all pupils.

Employment

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of unemployment in (a) Edinburgh South and (b) Scotland has been in each year from 1992 to 2002.

Iain Gray: The claimant count levels are published on a monthly basis. The latest available data is May 2002, so May of each year has been used. Rates are not available for parliamentary constituency areas prior to 1996.

  


May 
  

Edinburgh South 
  

Scotland 
  



Level 
  

Per cent 
  

Level 
  

Per cent 
  



1992 
  

2,900 
  

N/A 
  

233,100 
  

8.8 
  



1993 
  

3,200 
  

N/A 
  

243,700 
  

9.7 
  



1994 
  

2,900 
  

N/A 
  

231,100 
  

8.9 
  



1995 
  

2,600 
  

N/A 
  

199,000 
  

7.5 
  



1996 
  

2,400 
  

7.7 
  

194,700 
  

7.5 
  



1997 
  

2,000 
  

6.8 
  

160,300 
  

6.4 
  



1998 
  

1,500 
  

5.4 
  

139,700 
  

5.6 
  



1999 
  

1,400 
  

5.1 
  

134,700 
  

5.3 
  



2000 
  

1,100 
  

4.3 
  

120,600 
  

4.8 
  



2001 
  

 900 
  

3.6 
  

106,700 
  

4.3 
  



2002 
  

 800 
  

3.1 
  

104,700 
  

4.2

Ferry Services

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25425 by Lewis Macdonald on 21 May 2002, whether Caledonian MacBrayne has been guided by either the Executive or Her Majesty’s Government in any way and at any time as to the service it could or could not provide on the Gourock to Dunoon route.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25321 on 7 May 2002, which recorded all of the instructions and guidance issued by the Scottish Office or the Scottish Executive to Caledonian MacBrayne on the operation of the Gourock to Dunoon route, dating back to 1982.

Ferry Services

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to take forward its proposals to tender the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Lewis Macdonald: I have today published, for consultation, the draft Invitation to Tender (ITT), which includes the service specification, for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. This sets out our proposals for tendering. I have also published an accompanying consultation document Proposals for Tendering Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services which explains the principles adopted in the service specification and seeks views on options. At the heart of these proposals is our commitment to protecting existing levels of fares and the level of services and ensuring that safety is a priority at all times. I believe that the service specification achieves this. The key elements are:

  The network will be tendered as a whole. The European Commission took account of the case we made for this and the way is now clear for the Executive to proceed on this basis. Overwhelming support was expressed for this option in response to the previous consultation Delivering Lifeline Ferry Services. This will maximise service reliability for the communities served, simplify the process for management of vessels and provide economies of scale in company management, safety and quality systems. It also avoids cherry picking of routes and facilitates integrated transport through co-ordinated timetabling of services.

  Delivering Lifeline Ferry Services explained that the EC rules ruled out the possibility of subsidy for mainland-to-mainland routes. Through our representations, we have been able make inroads to secure these routes. I am delighted to confirm that both of the mainland-to-mainland routes in the current Undertaking (Gourock to Dunoon and Tarbert to Portavadie) will be included in the single bundle. This is based on the European Commission's assessment that the land-based routes do not provide viable alternatives. This is welcome news and will mean that subsidy for these services can continue.

  We also explained that Public Service Obligations (PSOs) can be imposed for scheduled services to ports serving peripheral areas or thinly served routes considered vital only where the operation of market forces would not ensure a sufficient service level. Nevertheless, we decided to make strong representations for the continuation of the approved Gourock to Dunoon passenger service. This is consistent with our integrated transport policies. However, following discussions with the Commission we have concluded that the service for Gourock to Dunoon should be restricted to a passenger only service to comply with EC rules for PSOs). This is because the case for a vehicle service is undermined by the existence of an unsubsidised private sector competitor nearby. We are pleased that the Commission accepted the arguments for a continued passenger only service which will carry passengers between the railhead at Gourock and Dunoon.

  New services - We undertook to review the Out of Undertaking services and I am pleased to announce that we will expand the services to include two services that are currently outwith the Undertaking. These are:

  Mallaig to Armadale winter vehicle service, and

  Tarbert to Portavadie winter service.

  I also propose further new services as follows:

  Sound of Barra and Sound of Harris - The Executive recently announced funding for a new CalMac ferry for the Sound of Harris route. This will allow a vessel to be deployed to provide a new service for the Sound of Barra and also enhanced services for the Sound of Harris.

  Kilchoan to Tobermory winter passenger service - This service is currently provided by the local community with financial support from various sponsors including the local authorities. The current winter service is a passenger only service and it is proposed that it will remain so with a vehicle service provided during the summer (as now). This will ensure vital links between Tobermory and Kilchoan are secured.

  Enhanced Oban services - a new vessel is being built to serve the Mallaig to Armadale route. This releases a third major vessel (MV Lord of the Isles) to enhance services from Oban to Mull, Colonsay, Coll, Tiree, Lochboisdale, Castlebay and Islay during the summer.

  Following discussions with the Commission, I can confirm that we intend to establish a publicly owned vessel owning company (VesCo). This will ensure effective utilisation of the existing fleet, offer service reliability through this period of change and guarantee the availability of vessels for subsequent operating contracts. The operator will be bound to the VesCo fleet and the vessels will be chartered/leased on a bareboat basis at commercial rates. This is in line with the EC rules that prohibit grant in respect of vessel replacement.

  Our original proposals had allowed scope for operators to bring their own vessel solutions where we had identified a need for new vessels. However, we have concluded that VesCo should be regarded as the procurer of new vessels for the specified services and will also have a role in strategic planning. Decisions in relation to the vessel procurement programme for the first tendering period have yet to be taken in the context of the 2002 spending review but we plan to include these for bidders in the final service specification. There will be scope for operators to bring their own vessels to provide services over and above those specified if they wish. This will ensure that expansion of services would not be constrained by the size of VesCo’s fleet.

  VesCo will be responsible for providing an operator of last resort function. VesCo may do this at its own hand or through a retainer arrangement with a ship management company. It will be an early priority of VesCo to investigate these options and make recommendations to ministers. Arrangements will be in place by the start of the first contract.

  VesCo will also own CalMac's piers and harbours. The operator will be required, as VesCo's agent, to manage certain harbour functions currently provided by CalMac in return for management fees (although VesCo will still retain overall responsibility for delivering these functions through such an agreement). Ticketing offices, waiting rooms etc will be made available for lease by the operator. This ensures that all the "tools of the job" remain with VesCo and can be made available on a continuing basis to the first and subsequent operators. Operators will not be bound to these facilities since they may be able to deliver improvements and efficiencies.

  Safety of passengers and crew is paramount. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is responsible for safety in relation to sea transport in UK waters. The core principle of the service specification is to ensure that bidders must comply with all MCA standards on all vessels at all times. The successful bidder will be subject to the same stringent safety standards that CalMac and other operators already have to comply with. The VesCo's contracts with the successful bidder will set out detailed maintenance responsibilities in respect of vessels. The key principle will be that the operator is responsible for vessel maintenance. This will ensure that there is no confusion in relation to safety issues.

  The Draft Invitation to Tender encompasses the above decisions. In addition, key proposals and principles include the following.

  Protecting levels of services. We gave a commitment to protect existing levels of service. All services currently within Caledonian MacBrayne’s Undertaking will be maintained. Following discussions with initial consultees the service specification adopts a prescriptive approach to timetables. It requires the operator as a minimum to provide the summer and winter arrangements as currently operated by CalMac. However, it is not the intention to set these arrangements in stone and, as now, there will be the possibility for changes to be approved during the contract provided the operator has agreed this with the local communities concerned through the consultative machinery. This is in line with the current system. The timetables prescribed will be the most recent at the time the service specification is finalised.

  Protecting fares - I propose that, for the service specification, CalMac’s fares are taken as the starting point in setting maximum fares and that these would be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the Retail Price Index over the contract period. The operator will be required to offer the full range of fares for passengers and vehicles as currently set out in the timetables. Concessionary fares will be continued as detailed in the draft service specification and operators will be expected to continue arrangements for local authority funded concessionary schemes. The operator will also be expected to continue special charging arrangements as detailed in the service specification. As for timetables, the fares prescribed will be based on the most recent available at the time the service specification is finalised. We propose to carry out further research on fares to inform the approach for the second tendering period.

  Branding - it is proposed that the operator should be required to operate the vessels under the existing CalMac livery. This will ensure continuity of brand and assist with the longer term marketing of the Highlands and Islands. However, there would be flexibility for operators to be identified with the operation of services in literature and websites. It is also proposed that where operators bring their own vessels to provide extra services over and above those specified they be allowed to sail those under their own livery.

  Performance regime - there will be a robust performance regime which will set tough targets for operators and safeguard standards of reliability and punctuality of services. This will operate on a route by route basis (so that no one route can be operated at the expense of others). The operator will also be required to develop a User's Charter which will set down standards in relation to a number of areas such as conduct of staff, standard of on-board facilities, standard of cleanliness and the complaints procedures.

  I am keen to promote good consultative arrangements within the new framework. I invited the Highlands and Islands Strategic Partnership to consider these and to make recommendations. These are presently being considered and we intend to consult on the way forward separately later this year. In the meantime the draft service specification sets out the current arrangements and requires the contractor to meet these as a minimum. This will be amended in due course if appropriate.

  Turning to the timescale for tendering, the work involved in restructuring CalMac is complex. It seems unlikely that VesCo would be in a position to liaise with tenderers until at least early next year. Based on this I anticipate that the tendering process will be completed in early 2004 with contract handover later that year. However, this may be subject to change depending on progress with restructuring. I believe that it is important to take the time necessary to ensure a smooth transition to the new framework.

  The consultation period will close on 27 September. I hope to see a full response from all those with an interest. In the meantime I will be publishing a Prior Information Notice in the Official Journal of the European Commission. This is not part of the formal tendering process but will alert operators to proposals and ensure that they can take part in the consultative process too. I will give close consideration to the responses to the consultation in making decisions about the final Invitation to Tender.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to protect Scotland's historic fishing rights during current negotiations on the Common Fisheries Policy.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is an integral part of the UK negotiating team on fisheries. We are working to ensure that Scotland’s interests are fully represented during the current review of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Fisheries

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure an equitable system of rating of gear stores for the aquaculture and fishing industries.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has no plans to change the current system for the rating of gear stores for the aquaculture and fishing industries.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the First Minister whether sufficient measures have been taken to prevent any recurrence of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic.

Mr Jack McConnell: We are implementing a whole series of measures that will minimise any chance of another outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26283 by Ross Finnie on 5 June 2002, what stakeholders will be consulted on the finalised strategy for enhancing disease surveillance.

Ross Finnie: Stakeholders with an interest in animal health and welfare will be consulted. The consultation document will also be made publicly available.

General Practitioners

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what new proposals it has to address the number of GPs resigning in the Highlands.

Mr Frank McAveety: NHS Highland is working proactively to support practices in their area. This includes the development of Personal Medical Services schemes which can be tailored to meet the needs of remote and rural practice. Also, as part of the current negotiations on a new UK-wide GP contract, the NHS Confederation and the UK General Practitioners Committee have set up a working group to take forward how the new GP contract would operate in remote and rural areas.

  These initiatives are in addition to the special arrangements which already apply in rural areas under the current GP contract. These include the extra Golden Hello payments to new GPs joining a remote and rural practice; the Inducement Payment Scheme; the Associate Allowance scheme, and the Scottish Rural Practice Fund. The work of the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative is also helping to develop remote and rural health services in Scotland.

Genetically Modified Crops

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has sought about the position of the Belgian Government in regard to crop trials of genetically modified oil seed rape and what information it has received about the position of the Belgian Government on this matter.

Ross Finnie: There have been a number of trials of GM oilseed rape in Belgium. The Belgian authorities recently ordered the destruction of a small research plot of GM oilseed rape because it did not have the required separation distance between it and a conventional crop of oilseed rape which was planted subsequently.

  Separation distances are concerned with maximising crop purity and are not about safety. In Scotland, those distances are set following expert advice and are based upon their successful use in conventional agriculture. Compliance with separation distances is monitored by the Executive’s GM Inspectorate who have visited all Scottish release sites. They have not identified any instances where sexually compatible crops were growing within the permitted separation distances.

Genetically Modified Crops

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many test sites of genetically modified crops there are and where each such site is situated.

Ross Finnie: Detailed information about releases into the environment of GM crops is placed on a public register, a copy of which is held by the Scottish Executive. Site information is also routinely placed on the Internet on the Executive’s GM website.

  There are 11 sites, including farm scale evaluations, where GM crops are currently being grown in Scotland. The release sites are in Aberdeenshire, Ross-shire, Fife, and Tayside.

Government Services

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17343 by Angus MacKay on 29 August 2001, how many websites offering devolved government services online, other than those provided by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, now use customer relationship management systems.

Peter Peacock: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland remains the only body within the Scottish Administration that currently utilises a customer relationship management system in delivering its online services.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in eradicating any health inequalities between deprived areas and the rest of Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: Tackling health inequalities has been set as a priority for the NHS and, following the Arbuthnott Review, we have reformed the way funding is distributed so the influence of deprivation and remoteness on health care needs is fully recognised for the first time. Also, we are focusing on inequalities in addressing the upstream determinants of health, through demonstration projects, healthy living centres, the Health Improvement Fund and wider work on lifestyles and life circumstances. All this will contribute to our continued push to tackle health inequalities.

Health

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Fife Structure Plan will be approved.

Hugh Henry: The assessment of the Fife Structure Plan is nearing completion and we hope to announce a decision shortly.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are being treated under the NHS for stress or stress-related conditions.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is difficult to estimate the number of people being treated for stress or stress-related conditions because stress is the mechanism that causes people to become ill from a variety of different conditions, and because treatment may be provided by a variety of NHS and other sources, including psychological interventions on which the Executive published guidance in October last year.

  First contact on stress related conditions will normally be with GP. Information about face-to-face consultations between GP's and patients is gathered centrally from a representative sample of 60 Scottish General Practices. For the illnesses most commonly caused by stress - mood/affective disorders and neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders - it is estimated that approximately 552,200 individuals were seen by GPs in Scotland in the year ending December 2001. However, we cannot quantify exactly how many of these were caused by stress.

Health

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the expert group on local service reconfiguration, referred to on page 26 of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change , will be appointed.

Malcolm Chisholm: Since the publication of Our National Health there has been a significant shift in the focus on developing a range of initiatives to support Patient Focus and Public Involvement. These policies are being developed to ensure that there is full and meaningful engagement of the public in service reconfiguration. Monitoring mechanisms for public involvement are being included in generic standards of the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland and more specifically Audit Scotland has been asked to provide external monitoring of the implementation of the Greater Glasgow Acute Services Review and that could be replicated in other areas.

Housing

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to discuss with Communities Scotland the responsibility for maintenance costs of amenity areas and unadopted roads and paths that have been passed to owners of former Scottish Special Housing Association homes.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive has no plans to discuss this with Communities Scotland. Responsibility for maintenance costs of amenity areas and unadopted roads and paths of former Scottish Homes (and previously Scottish Special Housing Association) stock lies with the owners themselves and the receiving landlords.

Housing

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future development of housing investment in Edinburgh.

Ms Margaret Curran: The resources available for future housing investment in Edinburgh, and elsewhere in Scotland, will be determined by the spending review currently under way within the Executive.

Justice

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will consider taking in respect of the use of restorative justice models in order to encourage effective work against re-offending.

Dr Richard Simpson: The Executive supports the use of restorative justice as a means both of addressing the needs of the victim and the community and of reducing re-offending by providing offenders with the opportunity to understand the consequences of their actions and to offer reparation. As part of the action programme to reduce youth crime, the Minister for Education and Young People announced an additional £2 million in March to help set up restorative justice schemes in areas where there are none and to develop and enhance those that are already up and running. In addition, we expect many of the youth crime programmes being developed across the country to have strong restorative justice elements. In the adult system, restorative justice is an important element in existing reparation and mediation schemes and in Community Service Orders, which provide courts with the powers to order offenders to undertake unpaid work or services for the benefit of the community.

Learning Disabilities

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring Learning Disability Services Change Fund monies in order to ensure that such monies are used to improve services to people with learning disabilities.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive is monitoring the development of services and the use of resources through the monitoring of Partnership in Practice agreements.

Licensing

Mr Tom McCabe (Hamilton South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the consultation paper Review of Liquor Licensing Law in Scotland

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive is not responding to the consultation paper. However, we understand that Sheriff Principal Nicholson’s committee has received over 200 replies which are now being analysed. I am expecting the committee to report in the New Year.

Local Government

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities provide a textphone service.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally.

MMR Vaccine

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total costs involved in setting up the MMR Expert Group were.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information about costs arising from the substantive work of the MMR Expert Group (as at 31 March 2002) was set out in Annex 3 of the report published on 30 April 2002. Costs associated with the setting up of the group, including the preparation and issue of letters of invitation to prospective members, were minimal.

MMR Vaccine

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs were of (a) entertaining, (b) transporting and (c) accommodating all the members of the MMR Expert Group.

Malcolm Chisholm: Accommodation and subsistence costs arising from the work of the MMR Expert Group were £8,090 in total. Members’ travel costs totalled £4,440. Information about such expenses (as at 31 March 2002) was set out in Annex 3 of the report published on 30 April 2002.

  Members of the expert group were not entertained in the course of preparing their report. However, they were invited by the Scottish Executive to a reception at Bute House on 12 June 2002, to acknowledge their personal contribution to that task. The cost of that reception was £320.

NHS Expenditure

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on air travel for (a) staff and (b) patients by each NHS board in each of the last three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Waiting Times

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce median waiting times for people awaiting cataract operations.

Malcolm Chisholm: The National Waiting Times Unit is working with NHS Boards across Scotland to reduce delays for patients and in particular, to tackle lengthy waiting times.

  I announced on 20 June that the Executive intended to purchase the HCI hospital facility in Clydebank and transform it into a National Waiting Times Centre, which will work alongside NHS boards to cut lengthy waiting times across Scotland. It is planned to carry out 5,000 elective procedures, including cataract operations, in the centre's first year of operation.

Nuclear Power

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Executive will give to the development of new nuclear power stations.

Mr Jack McConnell: The development of a new nuclear power station would be a commercial matter for the industry, but any proposal to construct such a nuclear power station in Scotland would require the consent of Scottish ministers.

Nutrition

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the Expert Working Group on Nutritional Standards will be published.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Subject to approval by the Scottish Cabinet, the Scottish Executive's Expert Panel on school meals will publish recommendations for consultation over the summer months.

Planning

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the implementation of a conditional right of appeal for objectors against decisions on planning applications.

Ms Margaret Curran: We have no current plans to introduce such a right of appeal.

Police

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26164 by Mr Jim Wallace on 5 June 2002, whether the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland is consulting health and safety specialists outwith the Scottish Police Service in order to determine whether current shift patterns are affecting the health and performance of its officers.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is a matter for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, who are currently conducting a review of the shift systems used by the Scottish Police Service. The Scottish Executive is not a member of the review team.

Police

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees in each police force are currently absent from work on a long-term basis, broken down by grade.

Mr Jim Wallace: Only civilian support staff within police forces are formally employees. (Police officers are appointed by chief constables.) Information on the number of employed staff currently absent from work on a long-term basis is not held centrally. The only information available is on the number of absences lasting longer than 28 days. The latest information is given in the table.

  


Force 
  

Number of absences amongst police officers 
  in 2001-02 where absence is over 28 days 
  

Number of absences amongst civilian support 
  staff in 2001-02 where absence is over 28 days 
  



Central 
  

66 
  

18 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

34 
  

21 
  



Fife 
  

57 
  

15 
  



Grampian 
  

55 
  

25 
  



Lothian and Borders 
  

338 
  

128 
  



Northern 
  

49 
  

24 
  



Strathclyde 
  

812 
  

270 
  



Tayside 
  

140 
  

68 
  



Total 
  

1,551 
  

569 
  



  Source: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Annual Statistical Return for 2001-02.

  Note:

  Absences do not necessarily equate to individuals in that one individual may have two or more such absences.

Police

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees in police forces are currently absent from work having been medically diagnosed as suffering from (a) stress, (b) work-related stress or (c) a stress-related condition.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Police

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to deliver on the commitment made in the UK Parliament in 1998 to extend the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 in order to ensure that police officers who wish to disclose wrongdoing receive the same protection given to other workers under that act.

Mr Jim Wallace: Amendments have been tabled to the Police Reform Bill, currently before the UK Parliament, to fulfil this commitment by amending the Employment Rights Act 1996 so that police officers in England, Wales and Scotland are covered by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. These are due to be considered by the Standing Committee on the Bill on 27 June 2002.

Prison Service

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees in the Scottish Prison Service are currently absent from work on a long-term basis, broken down by grade and region.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The figures are as follows:

  





Pay Bands 
  



Region 
  

A 
  

B 
  

C 
  

C+ 
  

D 
  

D+ 
  

E 
  

E+ 
  

F 
  

F+ 
  

G 
  

H 
  

I 
  

Total 
  



North and East 
  

0 
  

1 
  

2 
  

8 
  

3 
  

18 
  

0 
  

4 
  

0 
  

1 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  

39 
  



South and West 
  

0 
  

3 
  

4 
  

25 
  

4 
  

60 
  

2 
  

14 
  

2 
  

4 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

118 
  



Total 
  

0 
  

4 
  

6 
  

33 
  

7 
  

78 
  

2 
  

18 
  

2 
  

5 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  

157

Rail Network

Angus MacKay (Edinburgh South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the re-opening of the Edinburgh south suburban railway as a passenger rail route.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has offered financial assistance to City of Edinburgh Council for further modelling work into passenger demand for heavy rail and light rail options on the Edinburgh South Suburban Railway route. This forms part of a wider funding package, totalling £6.555 million under the Integrated Transport Fund, for the development of light rail in the city. Any decisions we make on supporting the re-opening of a passenger route will of course be taken in light of the findings of the further modelling work.

Rail Services

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will present the directions and guidance for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise to the Parliament before it sends them to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).

Iain Gray: I am happy to be able to make the Directions and Guidance for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise available to the Scottish Parliament today, in advance of delivering them to the SRA. A copy of my Directions and Guidance to the SRA for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise has today been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. Scotland deserves a railway that is fit for the 21st century and we should not settle for anything less. The directions and guidance clearly set out the Executive’s broad objectives for railways in Scotland.

Schools

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in order to encourage more children to walk to school.

Lewis Macdonald: Between 2000 and 2004 over £21 million will have been made available by the Scottish Executive to local authorities to take forward work on walking, cycling and safer streets projects. These resources can be used to implement measures which will encourage more children to walk to school. It is, however, for each local authority to decide how best to use its allocation having regard to local needs and priorities.

  In December 1999 the Executive published Guidance on How to Run Safer Routes to School. It contains practical guidance on how to encourage more children to walk, cycle or use public transport to school.

Schools

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the renovation and building of schools.

Nicol Stephen: Significant progress is being made. On 25 June, Cathy Jamieson and I announced support for capital investment of £1.15 billion in Scotland's schools - across all 15 local authorities which submitted bids. This emphasises the strong commitment of Scottish ministers to the modernisation of our schools estate.

Schools

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reach a decision on the application by Dumfries and Galloway Council to close Laurieston Primary School in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Nicol Stephen: The council’s application for consent to this closure proposal is under consideration and a decision will be reached as soon as practicable.

Secure Units

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18362 by Nicol Stephen on 22 November 2001, what the (a) average number of children held in secure accommodation and (b) total number of children sent to secure accommodation was in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99, (iii) 1999-2000, (iv) 2000-01 and (v) 2001-02, broken down by (1) gender, (2) probable period of detention and (3) reason for detention.

Cathy Jamieson: It is important to recognise that young people in secure accommodation includes young people at risk as well as those who have committed offences.

  The following tables outline the available information for 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000. Information for 2000-01 will be available by late summer and early next year for 2001-02.

  Table 1

  

 

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  



Average number of children in secure units 
  

86 
  

83 
  

89 
  



  Table 2: Number of Children Admitted to Secure Units for Children

  

 

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  



Number of admissions 
  

264 
  

265 
  

264 
  



  Table 3: Children Resident in Secure Units at 31 March: by Gender

  

 

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Male 
  

59 
  

65 
  

71 
  



Female 
  

24 
  

18 
  

16 
  



Total 
  

83 
  

83 
  

87 
  



  Table 4: Children Admitted to Secure Units: by Gender

  

 

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  



Male 
  

179 
  

195 
  

182 
  



Female 
  

85 
  

70 
  

82 
  



Total 
  

264 
  

265 
  

264 
  



  Figures on the length of stay of children in secure units are not held centrally.

  Table 5: Length of Stay of Residents in Children’s Secure Units at 31 March

  

 

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Less than 1 month 
  

16 
  

23 
  

17 
  



1 month to under 2 months 
  

13 
  

14 
  

13 
  



2 months to under 3 months 
  

5 
  

8 
  

12 
  



3 months to under 6 months 
  

24 
  

19 
  

22 
  



6 months to under 1 year 
  

14 
  

8 
  

12 
  



1 year to under 2 years 
  

10 
  

7 
  

6 
  



2 years or more 
  

1 
  

4 
  

5 
  



Total 
  

83 
  

83 
  

87 
  



  Table 6: Length of Stay (on Discharge)

  

 

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  



Less than 1 month 
  

89 
  

81 
  

67 
  



1 month to under 2 months 
  

27 
  

28 
  

26 
  



2 months to under 3 months 
  

27 
  

31 
  

41 
  



3 months to under 6 months 
  

62 
  

71 
  

84 
  



6 months to under 1 year 
  

52 
  

42 
  

36 
  



1 year to under 2 years 
  

8 
  

9 
  

9 
  



2 years or more 
  

1 
  

3 
  

3 
  



Total 
  

266 
  

265 
  

266 
  



  Table 7: Number of Children Resident in Secure Units at 31 March by Reason of Placement

  It is not possible to show the average number.

  


Reason for Placement (see codelist below) 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Code 91 
  

1 
  
 
 



Code 92 
  
 
 

3 
  



Code 93 
  

8 
  

13 
  

8 
  



Code 94 
  

22 
  

21 
  

29 
  



Code 95 
  

9 
  

16 
  

13 
  



Code 96 
  

22 
  

13 
  

13 
  



Code 97 
  

12 
  

3 
  

2 
  



Code 99 
  

9 
  

17 
  

19 
  



Total 
  

83 
  

83 
  

87 
  



  Table 8: Children Admitted to Secure Units: by Reason for Placement

  


Reason for placement (see codelist below) 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  



Code 91 
  

2 
  

8 
  

1 
  



Code 92 
  
 
 

1 
  



Code 93 
  

13 
  

18 
  

15 
  



Code 94 
  

59 
  

54 
  

56 
  



Code 95 
  

42 
  

46 
  

61 
  



Code 96 
  

52 
  

29 
  

19 
  



Code 97 
  

57 
  

55 
  

31 
  



Code 99 
  

37 
  

55 
  

78 
  



Not known 
  

2 
  

0 
  

2 
  



Total 
  

264 
  

265 
  

264 
  



  Codelist for placement reasons

  91. Order made under section 44(1) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.

  92. Order made under section 205 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.

  93. Order made under section 208 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.

  94. Order made under section 70(9) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, to which is attached a condition authorising use of Secure Accommodation.

  95. A Place of Safety Order or Warrant made under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, authorising the use of Secure Accommodation.

  96. Where committal to a Place of Safety or other temporary detention is made under the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.

  97. The authority of the Director of Social Work and the person in charge of the establishment, pending the convening of a Children's Hearing to consider the case.

  99. Other.

Secure Units

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in which secure accommodation facilities girls are held together with boys.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many secure accommodation places are specifically designed to hold girls, broken down by secure accommodation facility.

Cathy Jamieson: Boys and girls are held together in all of Scotland’s secure units, with the exception of Kerelaw, which has a six bed girls-only unit.

Sex Offenders

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the report of the Expert Panel on Sex Offending, Reducing the Risk: Improving the response to sex offending .

Mr Jim Wallace: Ministers’ response to the report, along with an analysis of the external consultation exercise carried out on the report, has been published today and copies are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 22120).

Stress

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its employees are currently absent from work having been medically diagnosed as suffering from (a) stress, (b) work-related stress or (c) a stress-related condition.

Mr Andy Kerr: Due to the time-lag in recording, sickness reasons are not available for current sickness periods.

  In financial year 2001-02, in the core departments 57 officers took medically certified sick leave with reason recorded as stress. This resulted in 3,051.5 working days being lost.

  Work-related stress is not recorded separately from stress and no information is held centrally on whether stress is the underlying cause of other certified periods of sick leave.

Stress

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for dealing with its employees who suffer from stress, work-related stress or a stress-related condition.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive takes staff welfare seriously. The Executive recently asked an independent organisation to conduct a survey of staff to examine work-related stress in detail. The Executive's Management Group committed themselves to giving the issues raised close attention.

  In addition to this work, there are a number of strategies already in place to help staff who experience stress both in and out of work. These include the Executive's Counselling and Welfare Service and an independent Employee Assistance Programme.

Stress

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to public bodies on the management of stress at work.

Mr Andy Kerr: Public bodies are responsible for the operation of their own personnel management and health and safety arrangements.

  The provision of guidance on the management of stress at work is a matter for individual non-departmental public bodies to consider.

Student Finance

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of abolishing tuition fees and reintroducing student bursaries on the number of school leavers attending higher education.

Iain Gray: It is too early to assess the impact of the new student support arrangements. There are, however, some encouraging trends in the most recent data which shows a steady growth in the proportion of school leavers entering higher education to 32%, an overall participation rate of 50% of Scots under the age of 21 and a 5% increase in the numbers of Scots applying for higher education through UCAS this year.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking ahead of the First Minister’s attendance at the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August

Ross Finnie: The Executive has prepared a report describing the work in Scotland on sustainable development since the Rio Summit in 1992 and the main points made in the stakeholder consultation undertaken last year. I have sent the report to the UK Government. Copies are being made available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 22146) and it will be posted on the Executive’s website.

Voluntary Organisations

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25969 by Ms Margaret Curran on 6 June 2002, when it will put into effect the principles and processes aimed at making it easier for voluntary organisations to apply to it for funding and when any new procedures will be fully in place.

Hugh Henry: Our timetable for the introduction of the new principles and processes is that we expect to pilot some of them in 2002-03, rolling out their introduction across the Executive in 2003-04. The timetable for the introduction of a generic funding power will be dependent on the Scottish Parliamentary timetable, but is not likely to be introduced in the current term.

Youth Crime

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will be taking to tackle youth crime and disorder.

Cathy Jamieson: On 26 June, Cabinet agreed a 10 point action plan to tackle the problem of persistent offending, to enhance community safety and to improve the effectiveness of Scotland’s youth justice systems.

  The review recommends a tiered approach in tackling youth crime:

  To tackle persistent offending: A small number of persistent offenders are responsible for a disproportionate amount of youth crime. Action will be targeted at this group, including:

  1. A pilot of Specialist Children’s Hearings to fast-track persistent offenders under 16.

  2. A Youth Courts feasibility project for persistent offenders aged 16 and 17, with flexibility to deal with 15-year-olds.

  3. Reviewing the scope for using Restriction of Liberty Orders, Anti Social Behaviour Orders and Community Service Orders for persistent offenders.

  To promote community safety and order: youth disorder blights our communities. We need a range of ways to deal with disorder and offending in the community. This will include:

  4. A Safer Scotland police campaign on high visibility policing, covering Youth Disorder, to increase visibility and provide community re-assurance.

  5. Spread best practice, and establish firm standards, for community based projects funded through the Action Programme, Better Neighbourhood Services Fund programmes and Making Communities Safer programmes.

  6. Consideration of a Scottish wide application of a system of police warnings, and a detailed exploration of restorative cautions approach, perhaps through piloting. 

  7. Re-configuring the secure accommodation available nationally to provide groups of girl-only accommodation, further consideration of additional places and improving the range and provision of programmes in secure units. 

  To promote the effectiveness of the system: While many aspects of the youth justice system are working well, there are some key pressures which must be addressed:

  8. A set of national standards to operate between local authorities, the criminal justice system and Children’s Hearings, covering reporting, timescales and follow up.

  9. Promote parental responsibility, through voluntary measures and in the longer term to consider the feasibility of introducing further statutory obligations on parents.

  10. Measures to increase the speed of referral to the courts will be considered, and introduction of specific targets discussed with the judiciary.

  The report and statement has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.